Page 37 of I Married A Catman

She smiled and nodded. “Until then, we just get to practice lots and lots.”

The way her eyes widened, and her face reddened as soon as she spoke those words indicated she had not meant to blurt them out. I was beginning to realize that my mate tended to let her mouth run away with her. It surprised me considering what impressive control she displayed during our audience with the Matriarchs. But I suspected this occurred when she was in what she perceived as a safe environment, and when she felt relaxed.

If my assumption was accurate, it pleased me that she would feel this way in my presence.

She emitted a nervous giggle to which I responded with a shy smile. And then the most awkward silence settled between us. I could see her wheels spinning as she was furiously looking for something to get the conversation going again. My own mind was going blank. It was truly pathetic.

By the Gods, Gaelec! Get a grip! Act like the Alpha male you’re supposed to be!

I cleared my throat and gave her another sideways glance before going for it. “So, about the cuddling you were mentioning earlier, should we proceed with that?”

Looking relieved, Ophelia grinned, and her eyes flicked to my chest with a covetous expression that rekindled that spark that had started fading in the pit of my stomach.

“I would like that. Your chest fur looks so soft and fluffy. Can I touch it?”

The hopefulness in her voice made me snort. “Of course, you can. I’m your husband. That gives you the right to touch me whenever you want, and however you want. My body is yours.”

The greedy way in which she licked her lips turned that timid spark into an open flame.

“Don’t mind if I do,” she whispered, slightly turning to the side to face me.

She carefully lifted her palm to my chest and sank her fingers through my chest fur. I studied her face as it took an air of pure awe. She gently scratched my chest, before running her palm over it, and slipping her fingers through it.

“Putain!It’s so soft!” she whispered to herself.

There was that word again. We all spoke to Ophelia in Universal, as she did with us, since she didn’t speak our language. But there were a few small words like that ‘pootain’ she had just said which I’d never heard before. They struck me as expletives. Living with a variety of species on Molvi, I’d been exposed to a plethora of them. None of them sounded anything like that one or that other word ‘boardell’ she also used a few times. I wanted to question her about it, but felt the timing wasn’t quite appropriate to have a foreign language discussion.

It had taken us long enough to finally get to some sort of physical contact, I wasn’t going to allow my stupid over analytical mind ruin the moment. Anyway, her touch was driving me to distraction. It was incredibly pleasant, making my stomach flutter. Then, to my shock, Ophelia leaned forward and rubbed her face over it.

A bolt of desire struck hard, deep in my belly. My cock jerked in response beneath the towel still wrapped around my waist. I barely managed to swallow back the purr trying to rise in my throat. To my chagrin, my mate stopped and lifted her head to look at me.

“You do realize that, from this moment forward, your chest has officially become my new pillow, right?”

I burst out laughing and nodded in concession. “As I said, my body is yours. But as that also implies cuddling and snuggling, then I am even more for it.”

Her smile broadened, then her eyes sparkled with excitement and something else I couldn’t define. It didn’t matter. I just loved the way it made me feel.

My breath hitched when she resumed her exploration of me. This time, she didn’t limit her touch to my chest fur, but her palm glided down slowly over my abdominal muscles, her fingertips tracing each crease. I couldn’t decide if it tickled more than it turned me on. Either way, I didn’t want her to stop.

“Your body is really amazing,” she whispered more to herself than to me before glancing back up and locking eyes with me. “Men would kill to have chiseled abs like yours. I often wondered what it would be like to be married to a man with the physique of a fitness model. I never imagined that it would actually happen.”

“I’m glad my body pleases you, my mate,” I replied, my voice sounding a bit more gravelly from my own growing arousal.

Her palms resting on my stomach, Ophelia continued to stare at me for a silent moment. Something passed between us, some kind of connection or unspoken understanding. My mate stretching her neck and leaning forward to kiss me broke the magic.

Knowing how it had gone down the first time, I mentally braced for it, intent on focusing on the nicer aspect of that odd practice. However, her lips no sooner touched mine than my nose began to twitch. It tickled, and I couldn’t resist the urge to chuckle against her lips.

Although disappointed, Ophelia chuckled as well and slightly pulled back to give me a sympathetic look.

“I’m sorry. It tickles. I think it’s because of the way your nose brushes against my whiskers,” I said sheepishly. “But aside from that, your lips are really soft. The sensation is not unpleasant.”

With a will of its own, my hand settled on her nape, and gently tilted her head back. My mate’s eyes widened in surprise, which quickly gave way to excitement when I leaned forward. I tilted my head at a light angle before pressing my lips to hers. This time, although her nose once again slightly brushed against my whiskers, the tickling wasn’t as intense, allowing me to properly savor the experience.

It was indeed strange, but also nice. Nazhrals were familiar with kissing, just not mouth to mouth. The smoothness of the cushion of her lips made it unlike anything I’d ever tried before. Whether consciously or not, Ophelia leaned into me, and I found myself wrapping an arm around her body, drawing her closer even as I pressed my mouth a bit harder against hers. She slipped the fingers of one hand into my mane, her blunt nails gently scraping my nape. After a few more moments, I broke the kiss and locked eyes with her.

Something shifted between us, and that odd connection seemed to deepen. I absent-mindedly caressed her back. A violent shiver coursed through my woman, and her skin instantly erupted in those tiny bumps that freaked me out at the spaceport. This time, knowing it was a display of pleasure in response to something I did, I smiled and effortlessly picked her up to settle her in my lap, facing me, her knees on each side of my legs.

To my surprise, Ophelia appeared emboldened by this. Fisting my mane on my nape with both hands, she began brushing her lips over my right cheek in a gentle caress, then peppering soft kisses on every inch of my face. My chest vibrated with an approving sound. Yanking my head back, she pursued her ministrations, down my neck and my chest while I slipped my hands beneath the flimsy and sheer fabric of the sleeveless top of the lingerie she was wearing. As a single ribbon keptit attached between her breasts, it gave me no challenge in accessing her bare skin underneath.

---